I thought some of you might have difficulty with the BBC iTunes player, so here's the Chain Reaction interview between Catherine Tate and David Tennant, which is unbelievably cute, demonstrating their chemistry and the reason why I am hopeful about next year: Tate's comic timing. I love how they take the piss out of each other, even if Tate does suggest that sci-fi fans smell of Marmite. Chain Reaction

I am doing this with my iPod because I have two computers with different stuff on them. I don't have all my CDs on computer yet either.

How many songs total: 7,300ish songs, if I exclude the spoken word stuff. 53GB in totalHow many hours or days of music: 35 days, 23 hours, 16 minutes, 47 secondsMost recently played: The utterly, utterly gorgeous "And the Racket They Made" by King CreosoteMost played: "A Strangely Isolated Place" by Ulrich Schnauss/"Mer Du Japon" by Air, which is also the ringtone on my phoneMost recently added: "God Gave Us Life" Half Man, Half Biscuit

First album: Abacabok - TartitLast album: Youth and Young Manhood by the Kings of Leon or 0898 by The Beautiful South

First song that comes up on Shuffle: The Frog Princess - The Divine Comedy

Search the following and state how many songs come up:

Death: 41Life: 140Love: 458Hate: 19You: 825Sex: 30

Finally, I adore this. It's a BBC programme about the comedian Mark Thomas and his efforts to thwart the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act of 2005, which is a *very bad* piece of legislation which was designed to remove the Iraq war protester Brian Haw from Parliament Square and failed even in that.

It makes it illegal to demonstrate around parliament without a permit from the police, so Mark Thomas decides to organise protests in order to point out its absurdity.

It's hard to pick a favourite bit but I think I like the protest in defence of surrealism best. Or maybe his interactions with the police officer in charge of the SOCPA permits. Or maybe the bit where his friend Sian ices her application on a huge Victoria Sponge because the law doesn't say the application has to be on paper. Or maybe the seance.

Comments

I like Mark Thomas, Mark Steel, Rob Newman and Jeremy Hardy in general, ploughing their obstinate furrows and refusing to give in, but Mark Thomas is the most effective at the political stuff. Have you read "As Used On The Famous Nelson Mandela"? It's definitely worth a look.

I loved the Tate/Tennant interview. (I adore his natural accent, too.) They bounce well off each other and are clearly very comfortable together. I just hope they don't turn Donna into a mindless Doctor groupie; RTD seems to think that just because he wants to shag the Doctor that everyone does.

I have never smelled Marmite, which sounds like it may be a good thing.

A pleasure. If they exploit the comedy potential without going too far with it and lose the bad plotting and upsetting unrequitedness issues which made me sad last season, I will be very happy. I ask so little of Doctor Who...

He is fabulous. He is like a more subtle, less scattershot Michael Moore. (Also better looking) He's written a great book about the arms/torture trade called "As Used On The Famous Nelson Mandela" that's worth your time.

I went to see him live about 15 years ago -- when he was political but not an activist -- and laughed so hard that I wept.

I was laughing harder than I have in a very long time. As you say, it's hard to pin down which is the most brilliant bit, although I am leaning toward the Winston Churchill seance, myself.

Funny you mention Michael Moore - I was thinking, listening to this piece, that you could see so many cultural differences so plainly in the contrast of the two men. I find Michael Moore's style somewhat effective, but also irritating and often alienating, much as I suspect many people find America. Subtle is really not a word in MM's vocab, I suspect.

I'll have to look into MT's book. I had tracked down his website and seen it there, and with your recommendation will definitely move it onto my ever-growing wish list.